For

Against

If you use art packages, whether for drawing freehand or simply for editing photographs, using a pen is often a lot easier than a mouse.

The Genius G-Pen F610 is a standard entry-level device that has a slim and neat design. It’s comparable to the Bamboo, from market leader, Wacom.

Consisting of a 10 x 6-inch sensitive pad that hooks up to your PC using USB. You use the rather chunky cordless pen, which may be heavy but feels good in the hand.

We found it easy to set up and use. It’s not the most sensitive of pads and takes some time to calibrate correctly. There is a row of programmable keys running along the top that can be set to work with your favourite.

It works with Mac and Windows and can even be used directly with the Tablet features in premium versions of Vista. This means you can add notes to emails, draw in Word documents and generally annotate pages.

If you aren’t running Vista yet, you can still use the pen as there are a whole host of software tools you can install as Genius has bundled Office Ink, Power Presenter RE, Free Notes, Macro Key Manager, Ulead PhotoImpact 12.

Verdict

The Genius G-Pen F610 isn’t something you’d want to use if you were serious about your art, or possibly even a professional. However, if you’re just starting out or want an alternative to a mouse, this is a great entry-level product.